Omen

Acerus – The Caliginous Serenade Review

By Steel Druhm on February 2, 2024 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, 31 comments

“The Chasm have been cracking skulls since 1994 with their riff-intensive, wildly creative death metal. Over the years they evolved from ass-scratching caveman death to technical insanity engineers, but skulls were always smashed just the same. Though I’ve been a fan forever, somehow I missed that The Chasm’s bassist/guitarist/vocalist Daniel Corchado had an epic/trve metal side project called Acerus and had been releasing albums since 2014. For this, I feel great shame and now I must make amends. The Caliginous Serenade is their fourth release and this one will be properly exposed to the AMG masses!” Ride of the Gorge Warriors.

Of Virtue – Omen Review

By Dear Hollow on October 31, 2023 in Reviews, Djent, Hard Rock, Metalcore, Nu Metal, Post-Hardcore, 18 comments

“If I’m being brutally honest, I follow Michigan collective Of Virtue in the vain hopes they reclaim their former glory, and to express my disappointment whenever they fail to reach that. I get that it’s not fair to have low expectations, but as the saying goes, how the mighty have fallen. While they used to be aligned with a progressive edge and heart-wrenching melodic hardcore foundation not unlike Misery Signals or Counterparts, 2019’s What Defines You featured a sound that can only be defined by its devolution. What can we expect from Omen? Realistic expectations are a virtue.

Cruel Force – Dawn of the Axe Review

By Holdeneye on September 23, 2023 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, Speed Metal, 50 comments

“Cruel Force released two back-to-back albums in 2010 and 2011, both showcasing a blackened thrash style—and both pretty awesome—but after a decade’s hiatus, the band apparently felt the need for speed, morphing into more of a traditional US-style speed-infused heavy metal project a la Jag Panzer or Omen.” Wiolence and Cruel Force.

Stuck in the Filter – May’s Angry Misses

By Kenstrosity on July 28, 2023 in Stuck in the Filter, Black Metal, Death Doom, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Grind, Hardcore, Instrumental Metal, Mathcore, Post-Metal, Slam, Sludge, Stoner Metal, 69 comments

May Day is upon us, in July! Join us as we demonstrate what focused spring/early summer Filter cleaning can accomplish when you have motivated technicians.

Venator – Echoes From the Gutter Review

By Holdeneye on March 2, 2022 in Reviews, Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, 67 comments

“Echoes From the Gutter finds Venator expanding upon the classic sound they established on the well-executed and well-received 2020 Paradiser EP, a sound that finds them worshipping with reverent fervor before the alter of the deities of early 80s British and American heavy metal. When I listen to these guys, I hear Defenders-era Judas Priest mixed with Jag Panzer, Angel Witch, and Omen; their songs are undeniably heavy and irresistibly catchy.” Hello from the metal gutter.

Rat King – Omen Review

By Steel Druhm on July 7, 2021 in Reviews, Doom Metal, 25 comments

“Indiana’s Rat King have been skulking around the Midwest since 2016, tweaking their classic stoner doom style and releasing a few singles and EPs, with Omen being their debut full-length. Their promo package namedrops genre greats like Kyuss and Electric Wizard and speaks of an exploration of the darker elements of the human condition while promising haunting, evocative vocals. This is the PR milkshake that brought Steel to the yard.” Rat holes in Sky Valley.

Vision of Choice – Mistress of the Gods Review

By Holdeneye on February 14, 2020 in 2020, German Metal, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, ZOUNDR/Fencesound Music, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 47 comments

“And then a record comes along that takes me right back to that storied past and refills my magic bar to 100%. Mistress of the Gods, the debut album from Germany’s Vision of Choice is one of those records. After close to thirty spins of this 57-minute monster, I’m still trying to come up with the best way to describe what it sounds like. Here’s the best I got: take the masculine riffs and baritone bellows of a band like Omen, mix it with some German speed a la Helloween or Blind Guardian, add some eccentric Savatage flair, and round it out with Mötley Crüe and Van Halen, and you might get close.” Hot pocket o’ metal.

Things You Might Have Missed 2013: Masters of Disguise – Back With a Vengeance

By Steel Druhm on December 13, 2013 in 2013, German Metal, Heavy Metal, Limb Music, Things You Might Have Missed 2013, Heavy Metal, 7 comments

“As a wise man named Mr. Fisting Himself once observed, the latest trend in metal is finding the most obscure acts from the past and repackaging them as underground, cult and cool, or to quote the man Himself, embarking on “the slow journey up it’s own ass.” Taking part in this mining mission to Uranus, Masters of Disguise is a band wholly created to pay homage to the extremely under known mid 80s speed metal act Savage Grace. Whom, you ask? Exactly.” Talk about wallowing in obscurity! These guys are so far up metal’s ass they may never be seen again, but I thought the same thing about their progenitor too.

Sinister Realm – World of Evil Review

By Steel Druhm on July 20, 2013 in 2013, 3.5, American Metal, Doom Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Doom Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, 8 comments

“If there’s one type of retro metal I never tire of, it’s the kind that goes for the old school, traditional, “trve metal” sound from the early 80s like Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road. Of the few bands out there using this style as a main influence, my favorite is Sinister Realm (though Argus comes really close). I really enjoyed their debut, but they raised their game bigtime for 2011s The Crystal Eye opus and it ended up one of my favorite albums of the year. Utilizing a stripped down, zero-bullshit approach with a slight epic feel and incorporating doom, NWoBHM and early America metal influences, they found a winning formula and crafted some really memorable tunes.” Steel Druhm is old so it should come as no surprise he likes stuff that sounds old. Sinister Realm is old school, cvlt, trve and any other V instead of U word. So is this a match worthy of eHarmony?

Hellwell – Beyond the Boundaries of Sin

By Steel Druhm on September 29, 2012 in 2012, 4.5, American Metal, Epic Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Shadow Kingdom Records, Heavy Metal, 5 comments

Manilla Road is an institution in the metal world and deserve many accolades. However, their last album bummed Steel Druhm out bigtime. Now, Hellwell, the Manilla-fueled side project of Mark Shelton is here to right the wrongs and kill with songs. Steel Druhm is happy again and back in the Cthulhu cult where he belongs. Join him…